> It starts hard when cold and runs
> rich
> until it warms up, then it runs great.

Jake:

What temp do you mean when "cold?"  The cold-start
valve/thermo-time switch isn't used below 68 F.
That is, above 68 F, the thermo-time switch will
not let the cold-start valve open.

If it is much colder than 68 F, it is possible that
multiple starts are getting the thermo-time switch
warm enough that the cold-start injector isn't
opened and the van finally starts.

What do you mean by "rich?"  That is, how do you
know?  Tail-pipe test?  Or just observing the exhaust?
I ask because I have a similar "rich" situation when
cold.  Leak-down test when cold shows high leakage; it
is fine when warm.  Probably the heads were not correctly
torqued or have become slightly loose.  When warm it
runs great and easily passes emissions tests.   I keep
the idle set high because it will die about 1-2 minutes
after a cold start--after the sensors say it is warming
up but before the leak-down disappears, I think.  I
do not, however, have any hard-cold-start problems.

This is an '81 non-California with about 15,000 miles on
a BB engine (November 2000.)

                        Richard A Jones
                        Boulder, Colorado